A SOUTHPORT shopping centre has donated more than £300 to Southport RSPCA.

Marble Place on Chapel Street donated £330 to the RSPCA this week which was raised over the Christmas period.

Along with the centre’s usual festive decorations, there was also an animated display in the centre where a charity bucket was placed for donations to be made.

Mike O’Neil, security manager of Marble Place said: “The kind and generous people of Southport dropped their spare change into the bucket as they were passing and it totalled up to £330.

“I decided that this year the money should go to the RSPCA as I heard that they were having a refurbishment at the local centre.

“It is absolutely a worthy cause, I think that there are a lot of animal lovers in Southport and they would be happy to hear that their donated money has gone to the RSPCA”

Paul Smith, centre manager for Marble Place said: “We have always donated the money raised over the Christmas period to charity and this year it has again gone to a very worthy cause.

“Marble Place is very proud to be able to give £330 to the Southport branch of the RSPCA.”

The animal shelter at the Southport, Birkdale and District branch of the RSPCA is in the process of a year-long £550,000 redevelopment

The refurbishment at the New Cut Lane centre, which re-homes unwanted pets, involved demolishing the existing kennels and replacing them with a new structure that will home 27 dogs.

Funding for the redevelopment was raised locally and through regional and national grants.

Ron James, branch secretary said: “I can assure everyone that all donations to the branch will be put to very good use at the animal shelter and help us give our many cats, dogs and other small animals another chance in life.

“Furthermore I can say that all donations made to us at the animal shelter are retained here for our use and no money is sent by us to ‘Headquarters’ or anywhere else.

“People may not know that the branch, like each branch of the society, relies solely on the generosity of local people to support our work in the area.

“We receive no financial support from the lottery or national RSPCA funds towards our day-to-day running costs.”